Archery bow limb shock cushioning means having a bracket with pivotally mounted weighted extended arms



Sept. 19,

1967 J D. SANDERS 3,342,172

ARCHERY BOW LIME SHOCK CUSHIONING MEANS HAVING A BRACKET WITH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WEIGHTED EXTENDED ARMS Fil ed Feb. 25, 1965 INVENTOR, John DeWifl Sanders United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Weighting means for detachable connection to either or both limbs of an archery bow to dampen the shock generated by discharge of arrows from the how, the weighting means being also adjustable in position relative to the bow to modify the dampening effect and including locking means for locking the weighting means in adjusted position.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements for use in conjunction with archery bows and is particularly directed toward providing adapter means for adding shock cushioning devices to existing archery bows.

Many attempts have heretofore been made to provide bows with means for cushioning the shock occasioned to the holding hand of the archer upon the release of the bow string which is a substantial shock occasioned by the poundage or leverage of the bow. It has already been proposed that bows should be originally built with means for cushioning such shocks as a part of the original equipment, among which are devices such as the structure shown in copending application, Ser. No. 366,253, filed May 11, 1964, by the present inventor.

The present invention is directed toward providing an adapter which may be utilized in the form of a kit or separate means for attachment to existing bows, of which there are many in the use among the numerous archers, in order to equip such bows with the shock cushioning which is found to be desirable without otherwise disturbing the structure of the bow, and which may be utilized on a socalled Do'It-Yourself basis.

The present invention contemplates mounting weighted means in one or more-places along a bow structure, preferably adjacent the respective junctions of the bow limbs with the handle section of the bow, and providing means for adjustably supporting such weighted elements in order to facilitate adjustment of the shock cushioning applied to the respective sections of the bow so that a different weighting may be applied to one limb of the bow and yet another weighting applied to the other limb of the bow. It is contemplated that these items may be installed by the archer at his convenience and for his own purpose without distorting the conformation, configuration or make-up of the bow upon which the items are being installed. In order that the present devices will not impede the shooting of the bow, it is preferred that they be mounted on the back of the bow and project away from the bow string area or belly of the bow, and it is further preferred that they be spaced away from the arrow engaging area of the handle portion of the bow.

The principal object of the persent invention to to provide means for the detachable securing of shock cushioning weighting means adjacent the respective limbs of a bow.

A further object of the invention is to provide such de vice in which the weighting means is adjustably supported adjacent to the limb of the bow to which attached so that the weight may be shifted from position to position in order to finely adjust the weighting of the bow limb to best suit the shock cushioning needs of the archer.

A further object of the invention is thus to provide means for attachment to a bow so as to be adaptable for shock cushioning purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide such adapting means which may be tuned to the needs of the user; and

A further object of the invention is generally to improve the design, constructions and efiiciency of bow means, and further to provide for the removable and adjustable mounting of shock cushioning means in connection therewith.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the handle section of a bow together with adjacent fragments of the bow limbs, with devices of the present invention mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top elevational view on an enlarged scale illustrating one of the shock cushioning devices of the present invention mounted upon the bow.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the device of FIG. 2, and further illustrating the device in various adjusted positions of use.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts art indicated by numerals, the present invention is adapted for utilization in connection with an archery bow 11, which includes a handle section 13, from which are projected the upper and lower limbs 15, all in substantially conventional manner. These portions are shown fragmentarily, particularly, in FIG. 1, and illustrate the present invention adjacent to the limbs 15. The bow string and the end nocks by which the string is attached to the bow limbs are not here shown, although it will be understood that they are a portion of the overall bow structure, particularly in the use thereof.

The present invention comprises a device which includes a bracket 17, which may be detachably fixed to one or both of bow limbs 15, as by screws 19. Pivotally connected to bracket 17, as by a thumb screw 21, is an arm 23, which may be shifted from position to position relative to bracket 17 and bow limb 15 as desired by the user, and may be fixed in such shifted position by the tightening of thumb screw 21. At the opposite distal end of arm 23. a holder 25 is pivotally attached as by an additional thumb screw 27. Holder 25 is also adapted to be shifted from position to position relative to arm 23, and to be fixed in shifted position by the fixing of thumb screw 27.

Mounted in and carried by holder 25 is a weight 29, which is here shown in the form of a capsule preferably containing a desired amount of mercury or other weighting material for the purpose of effecting the shock abs0rbing results here desired. Thumb screw .27, in addition to fixing weight 29 to arm 23 in desired position, also serves to effect a clamping of holder 25 upon weight 29 so as to retain the same therein when adjustment has been achieved. Similarly, by loosening the thumb screw 27, holder 25 may be relaxed so that weight 29 may be removed and a dififerent weight substituted therefor as desired by the user of the device, thus permitting the adjustment of the overall weight provided in a single set of the shock absorbing means as attached to one of the bow limbs, which may be at variance with the weight adopted for use in conjunction with the other of the bow limbs.

It will readily be seen that the present means provide for the adaption of existing bow structures to provide shock absorbing means without otherwise disrupting the structure of the bows, and that these shock absorbing means are widely adjustable in use; first, by the shift provided of the means relative to the attachment bracket so that the weight may be shifted upwardly or downwardly along the bow limb to provide more pleasing result; secondly, by the fact that the weight means per se may be shifted or changed from the structure provided to enable the user to acquire a greater or lesser weight as suits the use of his purposes; and thirdly, the fact that the weight per se may be shifted relative to the attachment arm to and from varying positions relative thereto, further varying the adjustment of the utilization of the weight and in effect enabling the user of this device to tune his bow to the shock absorption necessities required.

It will be understood that one of these devices may be utilized in connection with one of the bow limbs, or a pair of the devices of similar nature may be utilized in connection with both of the bow limbs, and that either of the devices when so used may be detached and removed if desired by the user.

The weight 29 may comprise mercury encased in a capsule, as is suggested heretofore, or may comprise a block of metallic weight or of other weight as desired.

It is apparent that while the nature of the weight only alters the eiTect of the present invention to a minor extent, it should be noted that it is preferable that a fluid material such as mercury, or perhaps a heavy oil material, should be contained in a capsule for the weighting purposes, although it is believed that a powdered metallic element contained in a similar comparative capsule might accomplish the same sort of purposes. It accordingly will be seen that the present device provides a means by which an archer may adapt his bow to provide for absorption of the shocks of shooting on a highly adjustable basis utilizing the means of the present device.

In the use of the device, after one or more of the Weighting means have been mounted upon the bow, the shock vibrations generated by release of the bow string from drawn position to return to normal bow position is transmitted from the bow string nocks along the bow limbs toward the handle section of the bow. Such shock vibrations are materially dampened by the presence and mounting upon the bow structure of the weighting shockcushioning means as of the present invention, and the degree of such dampening may be adjusted, and, in effect, tuned by shift of the position of weight 29 altering through the leverage of the present device the position of the shock dampening weight relative to the path of the shock vibrations.

I claim:

1. Shock cushioning means for mounting upon an archery bow comprising a bracket, said bracket having means for engaging an archery how, an arm adjustably pivoted to said bracket, means for locking said arm in a selected adjusted position relative to said bracket, a holder pivotally connected to said arm adjacent the end of said arm remote from said bracket, means for locking said holder in a selected position of angularity relative to said arm, and weight means held in said holder.

2. Shock cushioning means for mounting upon an archery bow comprising a bracket, said bracket having means for engaging an archery how, an arm adjustably pivoted to said bracket, means for locking said arm in a selected adjusted position relative to said bracket, a holder pivotally connected to said arm adjacent the end of said arm remote from said bracket, means for locking said holder in a selected position of angularity relative to said arm, and weight means detachably held in said holder and removable therefrom for adjustment.

3. In an archery bow, means for cushioning the shock generated by release of the bow string comprising bracket means connected to at least one of the limbs of said bow adjacent the handle section thereof, an arm pivoted at one end to said bracket means and projecting away from said bracket means, means for locking said arm in a selected adjusted position relative to said bracket means, a holder pivotally connected to said arm adjacent the other end thereof, and weight means mounted in said holder for accomplishing cushioning of the shock generated by the release of the string of said bow.

4. In an archery bow, means for cushioning the shock generated by release of the bow string comprising a bracket means connected to at least one of the limbs of said how adjacent the handle section thereof, an arm pivoted adjacent one end to said bracket means and projecting away from said bracket means, means for locking said arm in a selected adjusted position relative to said bracket means, a holder pivotally connected to said arm adjacent the other end thereof, and weight means detachably mounted in said holder for accomplishing cushioning of the shock generated by the release of the string of said bow.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1963 Bassin 273-171 X 7/1965 Hoyt 12424 

1. SHOCK CUSHIONING MEANS FOR MOUNTING UPON AN ARCHERY BOW COMPRISING A BRACKET, SAID BRACKET HAVING MEANS FOR ENGAGING AN ARCHERY BOW, AN ARM ADJUSTABLY PIVOTED TO SAID BRACKET, MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID ARM IN A SELECTED ADJUSTED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID BRACKET, A HOLDER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID ARM ADJACENT THE END OF SAID ARM REMOTE FROM SAID BRACKET, MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID HOLDER IN A SELECTED POSITION OF ANGULARITY RELATIVE TO SAID ARM, AND WEIGHT MEANS HELD IN SAID HOLDER. 